'Very, very brave': 71-year-old pizza shop owner fights, takes gun from 19-year-old robber who shot his wife, daughter; others help owner subdue shooter

A 71-year-old Philadelphia pizza shop owner fought and took the gun away from a 19-year-old robber who shot his wife and daughter in the restaurant Wednesday night — and other employees and customers helped the owner subdue the shooter.

What are the details?

Police said a 19-year-old man walked into the family-owned and -operated Mayfair Pizza in the 7400 block of Frankford Avenue in the city's Holmesburg neighborhood and asked for money while pointing a gun at employees, WTXF-TV reported.

Authorities said the suspect fired three shots inside the store, WTXF added.

A 66-year-old woman was shot in the stomach, and her 34-year-old daughter was shot in the shoulder, WTXF said. They're both employees of the shop, WPVI-TV reported.

With that, the shop's owner — who's the husband and father of the two shooting victims — sprang into action.

"The owner, who's the husband and father of these females that were shot, actually struggled with our 19-year-old perpetrator," Chief Inspector Scott Small told WPVI. "And other employees, and one or two other customers, actually helped subdue the 19-year-old shooter until police arrived on location."

According to Steve Keeley, WTXF morning news reporter, the 71-year-old pizza shop owner took the gun away from the suspect:

The victims were taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and reported to be in stable condition, WPVI reported, adding that the suspect hasn't been identified.

Small told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the alleged assailant didn't need to go to the hospital and was taken into police custody. He added to the paper that police found three spent shell casings and a large amount of cash on the pizza shop floor.

'Very, very brave'

Small also praised the pizza shop owner and others who helped capture the suspect, WCAU-TV reported.

“Very, very brave,” Small told WCAU of their efforts, adding that "we’re very, very fortunate that our two victims are stable and nobody else was shot.”

Responding officers recovered the gun, police told WCAU, and witnesses are being interviewed as the investigation continues.

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